Not very long ago, working remotely once in a while was considered a job perk. However, due to the pandemic, we are currently amidst an era where remote work is the new normal. The crux of the matter is, switching to remote work is not as simple as flipping a switch. There are many dynamics involved that need to be looked after. So, to ensure everything runs smoothly, most companies are considering hiring professionals to lead this transition. So, here’s a post that will give you an idea of why is it important to hire a head of remote work.

The Covid 19 pandemic has changed the way we work. Huge names like Facebook, GitHub, etc, are all transitioning to remote work. The pandemic has turned the tables around and remote work is now a necessity. This massive pivot to remote work has accelerated the need for the adoption of a new role- The head of Remote Work.

Like it or not, the pandemic is definitely going to continue fueling the need for remote work for a couple of years. It seems the best time to hire someone who works full-time in managing and leading a company’s remote workforce. According to Darren Murph, head of remote at GitLab, a DevOps platform company based in San Francisco, says “The smartest, most transparent, and most progressive companies transitioning to remote will hire an executive to lead their journey in the next one to two years”. Let’s take a look at why is it actually important to hire a head of remote work.

Who Is The Head Of Remote Work?

In the early months of 2020, the pandemic hit the world. As a result, many employees from all around the world woke up in their homes and never left for work. In fact, according to a survey, 64% of workers said that they wanted the flexibility to work remotely at least part of the time. So, Remote work is a new reality, and so is the role ‘Head of Remote Work’.

As a result, many companies have now started hiring executives as heads of remote work. Like all new concepts like remote work, the title head of remote work doesn’t have a predefined meaning. However, to put it in words, the head of remote work is an executive position created as a result of the pandemic in 2020.

Responsibilities Of The Head Of Remote Work

The main responsibility of the head of remote work is to lead the organizational transition of a company’s remote workforce successfully and smoothly. In doing so, the individual’s responsibilities entail-

• Ensure that all the newly transitioned employees have a well-equipped, ergonomic, and efficient remote workspace.
• Audit and implement all the remote equivalent of employee benefits and perks.
• Make consistent efforts towards maintaining company culture and onboard new employees to a work-from-home setting.
• Implement effective and efficient documentation and communication channel and strategies within the remote teams.
• Build strategies and set goals to achieve optimum productivity.

Here’s What A Head Of Remote Work Can Do For You

Maximize Productivity Of Your Remote Team

Remote work is a new concept for most employees. So, letting your employees figure out the most productive strategies would be a huge mistake and time-consuming. Instead, hire an executive professional to gather all the data required and determine the productivity factors that will lead to success.

Select The Jobs That Need To Be Transitioned To Remote

Senior-level management personnel can effectively generate all the data required to decide which roles should be remote and which roles shouldn’t. Often, ambiguity is created when an employee’s preferences and the organization’s needs don’t match. So, in such a situation, hiring a head of remote work becomes important.

Minimize The Loss Of Innovation

Remote work indeed sounds fun and quite perky. However, there is enough data present to say that it has certain drawbacks as well. One of the major drawbacks is the loss of innovation within employees. With the lack of presence of their colleagues, it is common for employees to lose their motivation and innovation. So, in this situation, the head of remote work can help and develop strategies to maximize the team’s productivity.

Hire The Best Remote Workers

Hiring remote workers is a tedious task. There’s a lot more at stake and the normal evaluation criteria cannot be enough. People need to possess a unique set of skills and values to work remotely. So, a senior-level head of remote work can do all the required research and set the benchmark for hiring a remote worker.